Hamas Denies U.S. Allegations of Planned Civilian Attack in Gaza

English , International - بین الاقوامی , Snippets , / Sunday, October 19th, 2025

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Sources Xinhua
GAZA/WASHINGTON, October 19 – Hamas on Sunday strongly rejected claims made by the U.S. Department of State that it is planning an attack against Palestinian civilians, calling the allegations “baseless and politically motivated.”
The U.S. State Department said on Saturday it had received “credible reports” suggesting that Hamas was preparing an imminent assault targeting Palestinian civilians. According to the department, the United States had notified the guarantor nations of the Gaza ceasefire about the alleged plan.
In an official statement, Hamas dismissed the U.S. claims as “false and misleading,” asserting that such accusations undermine ongoing mediation efforts and peace-building progress. “Hamas categorically denies any intention to violate the ceasefire agreement or to target civilians,” the group said.
The U.S. statement warned that if Hamas proceeds with any attack, “measures will be taken to protect the people of Gaza and preserve the integrity of the ceasefire.” The ceasefire, which took effect on October 10, includes prisoner exchanges, humanitarian aid access, and the partial withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Saturday that they had received the bodies of 12 deceased Israeli hostages from Hamas, while 20 others remain alive. Hamas, in a separate statement, blamed Israel’s continued closure of the Rafah border crossing for delaying recovery operations and the transfer of bodies.
Hamas further accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of violating the terms of the ceasefire by keeping the crossing closed, calling it “a direct breach of commitments made to mediators and guarantor states.”
Efforts by Qatar, Egypt, and Türkiye to sustain the fragile ceasefire continue amid growing diplomatic tensions between the concerned parties.